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The Mushtaha Tower, surrounded by hundreds of tents housing displaced families, was hit shortly after a forced evacuation order. Witnesses reported families scrambling with only minutes to flee before the building collapsed.
Israel’s Defence Minister Israel Katz warned that the “gates of hell” are opening in Gaza as Israeli forces step up their offensive on Gaza City. His remarks came after the military destroyed the Mushtaha Tower, a 12-storey building in the western part of the city, and announced plans to target additional high-rise structures in the coming days, reported Al Jazeera news.
The strike marked a significant escalation in Israel’s campaign. The Mushtaha Tower, surrounded by hundreds of tents housing displaced families, was hit shortly after a forced evacuation order. Witnesses reported families scrambling with only minutes to flee before the building collapsed. The attack highlighted what observers describe as a shift towards deliberately targeting Gaza’s multistorey towers, which dominate the urban landscape in densely populated neighborhoods.
The assault is unfolding as Israeli forces claim control of 40 percent of Gaza City. On Friday alone, at least 44 people were reported killed across the territory, including seven children. The United Nations children’s agency UNICEF called the situation “unthinkable,” stressing that families in Gaza face relentless bombardment, displacement, and mounting loss.
In central Gaza City, residents of a five-storey building near a gas station and the YMCA were given little time to evacuate before an Israeli strike reduced part of the structure to rubble. Explosions continued in the vicinity, leaving surrounding areas clouded in smoke and panic.
Meanwhile, air strikes intensified in the Sheikh Radwan neighborhood, with new forced evacuation orders issued for additional districts in the city’s core. The Israeli military has stated its objective is the complete defeat of Hamas and full control of Gaza’s largest urban center.
The rapid pace of the offensive has deepened fear and uncertainty among civilians. With few safe places left, many families are contemplating the perilous journey south, uncertain if they will ever be able to return. Beyond the immediate destruction, residents describe the trauma of repeated displacement — the grief of abandoning homes, belongings, and familiar neighborhoods under constant bombardment.
According to Gaza’s Health Ministry, children continue to bear the heaviest toll. Since the war began in October 2023, about 30 percent of the Palestinians killed have been children, averaging 28 deaths daily. Overall, at least 64,231 Palestinians have been killed and more than 161,000 injured. In Israel, 1,139 people were killed in the October 7 attacks, and about 200 taken captive.
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